ALOR SETAR, Feb 18 — The police seized over RM4 million worth of methamphetamine and MDMA pills after arresting a 46-year-old man near the Zamrud Business Centre in Sungai Petani on Sunday (February 16).
Kedah police chief Datuk Fisol Salleh said the unemployed suspect was detained at the parking lot at 7am by a team from the Kuala Muda district police headquarters' Narcotics Crime Investigation Department and the Kedah police contingent.
They found four canvas bags containing over five kg of methamphetamine and nearly 15 kg of MDMA pills, with an estimated value of over RM4 million in the suspect’s Honda Civic.
The suspect, who has a prior criminal record, has been remanded until Sunday (February 23). Investigations are ongoing under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
The suspected drug transporter is believed to have collected the drugs from a southern state to be handed over for trafficking.
“If the seized methamphetamine had hit the streets, it could have supplied 255,000 addicts, while the MDMA pills would have been enough for 28,000 users.
"We urge the public to share any information related to drug activities to help the police curb this issue,” he said during a press conference at the Kedah police contingent's headquarters today.
Commenting on the statement by Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail that Kedah is among the states with the highest drug abuse cases, Fisol acknowledged the matter.
“I fully agree with the minister's statement. We are using this as motivation. This year we are addressing it as our top priority. We have already implemented plans and will intensify our efforts to tackle the issue,” he said.
Earlier, Saifuddin said that approximately 192,857 individuals were involved in drug abuse last year, up from 145,526 in 2023 and 137,176 in 2022.
He added that the highest drug abuse rates were recorded in Kelantan, followed by Terengganu, Perlis, and Kedah.
— Bernama
